It is common knowledge that traditional ink or paint art medium compositions used today are unable to withstand relatively high temperatures. Generally, any image or text created on the surface of the ground material using these mediums is destroyed or lost when exposed to these temperatures.
In various fields, it is sometimes desirable to use ink or paint mediums that can undergo color transformation when exposed to relatively high temperatures. For example, artists in the commercial or fine art fields could use such mediums to create new works of art which could not be created with conventional ink and paint mediums.
In various industrial fields, color transforming inks and paints could be used on the surfaces of objects which when heated beyond safe temperatures, would undergo color transformation and act as an indicator. In the work place, for example, heat sensitive equipment or machinery could be painted with color transforming paints which would undergo color transformation when their surfaces became too hot. Another example of use in the work place would be pipes used to transfer water and gases in nuclear power plants could be painted with color transforming paints that which undergo color transformation when the pipe surface became too hot. Such mediums could also be useful in homes where exposed sections of flue pipe used with wood stoves or furnaces could be painted with color transforming paints that would change color if the sections became too hot.
Since ancient times, it has been known in the pottery industry to add powdered ceramic coloring agents to glazes to produce color and decorative designs on pottery ware. Such coloring agents were generally powdered metallic oxides and other compounds. When mixed with glaze material, applied to the clay body, and exposed to relatively high temperatures, the coloring agents would undergo color transformation to produce new colors.
Most ceramic coloring agents used today contain flux and other ingredients which promote fusion or vitrification of the glaze material. In some instances, however, other substances have been added for special applications. For example, metallic flake-like materials are often added to enamel or acrylic paints to provide a metallic finish to the surface. Kondo, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,198, discloses ink mediums containing ceramic materials used for manufacturing low resistant conductors using two to four metallic ingredients.
Bassemir, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,614, discloses a radiation curable solvent-free printing ink containing a radiation polymerizable compound, a photo-initiator, and a colorant, that dries almost simultaneously in air, exhibits minimal color change under normal conditions, and can be used on glass and other types of materials used for food containers.
None of the ink or paint mediums known in the prior art are capable of undergoing color transformation at relatively high temperatures as the ink and paint mediums disclosed herein.